Tamiya 78021 - 1:350 Mogami

Plastic model kit of the Japanese aviation cruiser Mogami in 1/350 scale

After the heavy damage she suffered at Midway, Mogami underwent a rebuild that gave her a silhouette unlike any other warship: her two aft turrets were removed and replaced by a large aircraft deck able to handle a substantial group of reconnaissance floatplanes. Tamiya 78021 depicts the ship in exactly this 1943 configuration, in 1/350 scale. The finished model measures approximately 573 mm long and 76 mm wide.

The kit is based on 2009 tooling. The hull is split along the sides and the large structural sections are joined with screws, which makes it easy to assemble a rigid, well aligned hull. The model can be built as a waterline or a full hull version — the display stand is included. The turrets, torpedo launchers, anti-aircraft guns and catapult all remain movable once assembled, and the barrels can be set in the stowed or the firing position.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with hull, superstructure, aircraft deck and armament parts
• Clear parts
• Photo-etched parts (crane, catapult, floatplane propellers, aircraft trolleys and catapult trolley)
• Metal anchor chains
• Metal propeller shafts
• ABS masts and aerials
• Turrets, torpedo launchers, anti-aircraft guns and catapult that remain movable once assembled; barrels in stowed or firing position
• 3 Mitsubishi F1M and 8 Aichi E13A floatplanes
• Stands for displaying the aircraft in flight
• Parts to build the model as either a waterline or a full hull version
• Waterslide decal sheet for the markings
• Display stand
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1/350
• Product number: 78021
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Model length: approx. 573 mm, width: approx. 76 mm
• Version: waterline or full hull (display stand included)
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (large, elaborate kit with photo-etched parts)

Note: The kit does not include glue, paints or modelling tools. The model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

The screw-joined hull is a solution anyone who has built a large warship model will appreciate — the structure stays rigid even before the glue is applied and will not sag under its own weight. It is worth deciding at the outset whether to build the waterline or the full hull version, as this determines how the lower hull is assembled. The photo-etched parts, particularly the crane, catapult and floatplane propellers, call for precision tweezers and cyanoacrylate glue, while the ABS masts and aerials need an adhesive intended for that material.

For the paintwork, the greys used on Japanese warships are recommended (e.g. Tamiya XF-75 IJN Grey (Kure Arsenal)), a light brown for the wooden deck areas (e.g. XF-78 Wooden Deck Tan) and red for the underwater hull (e.g. XF-9 Hull Red) on the full hull version. The F1M and E13A floatplanes are finished in Imperial Japanese naval aviation colours. Paint codes are given in the instructions. Applying the decals over a gloss coat helps to avoid decal silvering, and a matt varnish makes a suitable final finish.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper for cleaning up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• ABS adhesive and cyanoacrylate glue for the photo-etched and metal parts
• A screwdriver for the hull screws
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Model paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Wash to emphasise detail

About the ship – Mogami:

Mogami was the lead ship of a class designed under the constraints of naval treaties and thoroughly rearmed once those constraints were abandoned. In the first years of the Pacific war she served as a heavy cruiser with ten 20.3 cm guns.

During the Battle of Midway in June 1942 Mogami collided with her sister ship Mikuma and was badly damaged. While under repair, the decision was taken to rebuild her: the two aft turrets were removed and the freed-up stern was given over to an aircraft deck with trolley rails, turntables and catapults. The result was an aviation cruiser — a ship with a considerable reconnaissance capability, able to put numerous F1M and E13A floatplanes into the air while retaining her main armament in the three remaining turrets.

In this form Mogami fought until the autumn of 1944. During the Battle of Leyte Gulf, in the action in the Surigao Strait, she was heavily damaged and was scuttled by her own side on 25 October 1944. Tamiya 78021 depicts her in her 1943 fit, in full aviation cruiser configuration.

Original specifications (Mogami as an aviation cruiser):

• Standard displacement: approx. 12,000 t
• Length: 200.6 m
• Power: 152,000 hp
• Maximum speed: 36 knots
• Main armament: 3 twin 20.3 cm turrets
• Dual-purpose armament: 4 twin 12.7 cm mounts
• Anti-aircraft armament: 10 triple 25 mm mounts
• Torpedo armament: 4 triple 610 mm torpedo tube mounts
• Aircraft: Mitsubishi F1M and Aichi E13A floatplanes
• Crew: approx. 850
• Sunk: 25 October 1944 following the action in the Surigao Strait

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. The company began in the timber trade and wooden model production, and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. The brand is known for extremely precise injection moulds and excellent parts fit, which is why its kits are equally popular with beginners and experienced modellers. In its 1/350 warship kits Tamiya combines plastic sprues with photo-etched parts, ABS components and metal details, and joins the large hull sections with screws to keep a big model rigid. The instructions are clear, richly illustrated and include paint codes from the manufacturer's own range. Alongside plastic kits, Tamiya offers a full range of modelling accessories: paints, glues, tools and brushes. Today the company is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the best-known brands in the hobby.